Game Preview: Rangers face divisional foe from Erie on second weekend of season
Kitchener, ON – The Kitchener Rangers start the second weekend of the OHL regular season still looking for their first win on home ice. Kitchener opened the season with a home-and-home set versus Owen Sound, with each team winning on the road. Rangers fans will get their first look tonight at Luca Santala, a Finnish prospect acquired this week in a trade with the London Knights. Santala is already creating buzz for next June’s NHL draft and he’ll wear #23 when he takes the ice with the Rangers tonight.
- TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)
- Rogers Super Sports Pak Channel 469 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: Live on FloHockey
- Radio: CKWR 98.5
THE OPPONENT
The Rangers proved last weekend that they’re prepared to work hard for 60 minutes and they’ll have to do that again tonight against an Erie team that started the season with an impressive 5-1 win over the Memorial Cup host Guelph Storm. Former Ranger Evan Headrick, a first round pick to Kitchener in 2024, scored in Erie’s season-opening win. Headrick has 10 goals in 37 games with Erie since being traded last season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Kitchener Rangers will play the Erie Otters six times during the regular season, with three games at The Aud and the other three at the Erie Insurance Arena. The Rangers and Otters also met for a physical series during the 2024 playoffs, won by Kitchener in six games. Three of those games went to overtime, with the Rangers winning all three.
PAST YEARS
Kitchener won five of the six games against Erie last season, including the last time the two teams met at The Aud. Last December, the Otters held a 3-2 lead with less than 4:00 minutes to play in the 3rd period. A sudden power outage due to a winter storm temporarily halted play and when it resumed, the Rangers scored three goals in just over 3:00 minutes for a 5-3 win. Former Otter Dylan Edwards scored the winning goal for Kitchener, a short-handed marker with 1:23 to play. Kitchener has also dominated play between the two teams over the past five years, winning 17 of the past 24 meetings between the clubs, including winning nine of the past 12 on home ice.
RANGERS ROUND UP (1-1-0-0)
Drafted Rangers:
The Kitchener Rangers welcome back Alexander Bilecki (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Luca Romano (New York Islanders) from NHL training camps. Romano saw a little more than 12:00 minutes of ice-time in an Islanders preseason loss to the Devils last week. Charlie Puglisi (Nashville Predators) and captain Andrew MacNiel (Montreal Canadiens) round out the Rangers NHL drafted players.
After two games this season, Tanner Lam and Cameron Arquette lead the Rangers offensively, each with two points. Lam has two goals, while Arquette has a pair of assists.
SCOUTING THE OTTERS (1-0-0-0)
Drafted Otters:
The Erie Otters boast a pair of NHL prospects, both on the blueline. Defenceman Ty Henry was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 6th round of the 2024 NHL draft, while fellow defender Lucas Ambrosio went to the LA Kings in the 7th round of the draft this past June.
Otters rookie Colin Kennedy wasted no time putting his stamp on the OHL. The first rounder (2nd overall) scored twice for Erie in their win over Guelph last weekend. And goaltender David Egorov stopped 29 of 30 shots in his Otters debut. Egorov was acquired in an off-season trade with the Brantford Bulldogs.
RANGERS REACH:
Every Rangers game is another opportunity for you to win big with Rangers Reach. The last regular season single game prize was more than $12,000. Get your Rangers Reach 50/50 tickets here. Ticket sales support the community that has supported the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club since 1963. Winning numbers will be drawn at 9:00 PM tonight.
BROADCAST COVERAGE: Friday’s game against the Erie Otters will be televised on Rogers TV (Channel 20). It can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pak on channel 469 for cable subscribers. The game will be streamed live online on FloHockey. Additionally, fans can listen to Friday’s action on the radio on CKWR 98.5 FM.
UP NEXT: After Friday’s game, the Rangers will complete their home-and-home set with the Otters tomorrow night at the Erie Insurance Arena. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. The Rangers then return to the Aud for a Sunday night match-up against the Kingston Frontenacs, also at 6:00 p.m. Secure your tickets for all Kitchener Rangers games at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.
Don’t miss any Rangers updates throughout the season by following the club on Instagram, X and Facebook at @OHLRangers. Join the conversation on all things Rangers by using hashtags #RTown and #OHLRangers.
